


His Blessing Becomes His Curse

by MyQuizRutherford



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dragon Age: Inquisition Spoilers, Multi, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition, Trespasser DLC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-10
Updated: 2016-01-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 00:57:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5688433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyQuizRutherford/pseuds/MyQuizRutherford
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One-Shot: Everything hits home for the Commander, watching his wife possibly wander into certain death. He's tormented by grief as he deals with the possibility of his wife not coming back home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	His Blessing Becomes His Curse

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly have to say that it was screenshots and other things that prompted this one-shot. Screenshots always does one in lol. But on a more serious note, I was thinking about the situation when one of the spouses is in the military. It's popularized that the wives have to stay home while the husband goes out to battle, but what about in the case of the husband staying home when the wife goes out to battle? And this chapter was harder, because the Inquisitor didn't ask for any of this to happen, but had to deal with what she got. And now it's hitting home when there's the possibility of death. And a husband that has to deal with that reality, and can't do anything about it, but only to let her go. I hope you guys enjoy this piece as much as I enjoyed writing it :) Cheers!

__

_"Maker watch over you."_

Rayne looks over at Leliana, "I'm going, whether  _He_ iswatching or not," countering with a tone of pain and exasperation.

Everyone is surprised at the boldness of Rayne's doubt, but they understand that her dying hand might be nearing it's time. As Rayne walks out, Leliana, Cullen, and Josephine follow in silence.

* * *

 

To Rayne's frustration, she struggles with her armor, her hand hindering her. After pandering long enough, she curses, drawing eyes from the guards and companions, looking to her with worry.

"Everyone," Cullen's commanding voice echoes as he enters. Knowing his tone all too well, everyone walks out  with haste in their step. 

Rayne turns in recognition," Cullen I-" Rayne's voice is cut off as Cullen's lips desperately meet hers; he holds her face as he rests his forehead against hers. She grasps his strong hands, clinging to his touch.

"You  _ **will**  _come back," Cullen's voice struggles to stay strong. To his hinderance, tears hopelessly trail down his face. His inward promise to keep composed ended as soon as she met his gaze. Now, he's simply not strong enough to care.

Without opening her eyes, Rayne wipes his tears, sensing his anguish, " I will try."

His response resists the answer," Promise me!" he whispers passionately, then calms down,"Please..."

Her voice answers with remorse, " You know I can't do that."

Cullen sighs in defeat, "I know..." He smoothly switches the subject, "Let me fix that armor for you. " His arms reach around her waist, bringing her close as he attaches the armor in place.

Rayne smiles, voice faltering, "Thank you," as her arms wrap around his neck, reveling in the closeness for as long as she can.

Despite the companions arriving, Cullen gives Rayne one last lingering kiss, "I love you so much. Please come back to me." The second sentence was more of a reassurance to himself than to her.

Rayne whispers," Either way this goes, I will see you again." She hugs him close, for a moment that feels like eternity, then she slowly lets go. "My one and only," she caresses his face before she exits into the Eluvian.

* * *

Cullen stands numb against the wall in his wife's room, her life currently hanging in the balance.

"My one..." he echoes in a whisper, now lost to her. His guard goes completely down, and looks downwards towards the ring he held for so long."...And only." Tears hasten down his face, hitting the floor as he stares down. He curses to himself for his ill-fated timing. He closes his hand around the ring and places it on the desk away from him. 

"Cullen?" Josephine's voice rings in his ear, and he turns to look up at her sudden entrance. "I'm sorry. I'm intruding..."

"No. It's fine, " his voice laced with dejection. His gaze gravitates back downward.

"Cassandra told me. I'm so sorry Cullen..."

"She's not dead yet."

"But the odds.."

"The  ** _odds_  **are off the table, " Cullen looks up at her, not bothering to bring his usual guard up, pain evident in his tone and gaze. Josephine looks at him straight, not even sure if he believes that. 

"You know all of us want her to come back Cullen."

"And yet, I have more to lose than all of you."

Josephine sighs, "You don't mean that..."

"Yes I do. Rayne is your leader. Rayne is  _everything_  to me.The Maker blessed me with another chance to have with the woman I've always loved..." Josephine sits silently, anxious to hear him out. "I knew her before, and we were involved, but we parted on...unfortunate terms."

"So you two had a history.." Josephine chimes in, worded more like a statement than a question.

"Yes. But we met again those years ago and.." he chuckles," It was like she never left." A sad smile graces his face as his looks grow distant.

"Cullen-"

"Why does the Maker do this?" he blurts out. 

"What do you mean?" she questions softly.

"He blesses us, gives us what we desire, more than once, then rips it from us?" He turns to Josephine, yearning for an answer.

"You know I can't-"

"Rayne..." he exclaims, the calms, "she said the same thing."

"I don't know what you want me to say," Josephine responds.

"I want you to say that I can do something about it!" Cullen counters, Josephine looking down without an answer.

"This woman, my wife, my world, is in pain," his voice begins to falter. His voice then rises in a blend of anger and pain, "She is dying, and I can't do  ** _anything_**!" He punches the wall in distress. Josephine jumps, but does not move.

Cullen faces away from her, braced against the wall. Josephine never thought she'd witness the upstanding Commander so broken, so defeated. This warrants Josephine to stand, and begins to slowly move towards him.

The voice that that comes out, barely recognizable, heartsick and downcast, resonates as an audible whisper," Maker, if you can hear me, take away her pain, her torment... and give to me..." he ends in a whisper, and his body begins to shake with sobs.

Josephine hastens her steps towards him, and touches his shoulder, keeping silent, but looks with understanding, and brings him into a consoling embrace.

"Maker? Why must your blessing become your curse?" he pleads, desperately wanting an answer.

"Cullen, your wife is and always will be the Maker's blessing, never a curse. You will see your wife again. Once you do, it will be as though she never left." Josephine smiles to him. "Now Commander, I order you to clean up, so you can be the first one to see your wife..." She wipes his tears, "Your world..." she hugs him with reassurance, "your everything... Come home." She pulls back, giving him a warm smile. "Can you do that?"

Cullen looks back at her," That's a promise."

Josephine nods," Maker be with you Cullen..." she says before she walks out of the room.

Cullen watches her leave with an even expression, then looks over at the ring on the desk.

* * *

 

Cullen walks into the area holding the Eluvian, it's enchanting visage haunting him. He stares at it, longing for a response. 

The guards exit the room to watch from the outside, giving the Commander his privacy. 

Cullen walks to the opposite side across from the Eluvian, and moves down to sit.

He looks down at the ring, now laced through a chained necklace, then closes it inside his hand.

"May the Maker's curse become his blessing. If not..." he kisses the ring. "Allow my life to end in peace, so I may be with her again..."


End file.
